Flamengo to contest Messi goalscoring record with Fifa as they say Zico scored more in 1979

Flamengo are to provide Fifa with evidence that, while Lionel Messi may have broken Gerd Muller’s record of 85 goals in the year of 1972, he has not broken the record set by Zico in 1979.

Flamengo’s claim comes just a day after the Zambian FA announced they would present evidence to Fifa to show that the Kabwe Warriors striker Godfrey Chitalu, who won Zambia's player of the year award five times, scored 107 goals in 1972.

Flamengo believe that Zico scored 89 goals in 1979, and that he would have scored more if he had not been robbed of injury.

“We get upset. Messi has not passed,” said Bruno Lucena, co-ordinator of research and statistics at the Rio de Janeiro club.

“If he had played the whole year, with absolute certainty, would have made more than 100 goals.

"It was in 1979 that Zico holds the record for goals in a single match at the Maracana, when he scored six times in the rout by 7 × 1 on Goytacaz in the State championship played that year.”

However, if Fifa agrees that Chitalu holds the record then, with just three games left to play this year, Messi holds no chance of scoring an additional 21 goals, but if it is agreed that Zico is in fact the record holder, then the Barcelona forward still has a chance to break the record.

“I believe it yes because football he does not lack. But as red-black and Zico fan, I hope that does not happen. Yesterday I saw a player from Zambia made 107 goals in 1972.

"The African Federation said it would search for proof. A curious fact is that in 1979 Zico scored a goal in Barcelona's 2-1 victory Flamengo by Ramón de Carranza Trophy, the semi-final of the tournament,” added Lucena.